Millennia LPE-2 User Manual

Dedicated to the lives, memory, and families of

Chris Camacho and Gabe Weiner — two young men

who shared a passion for great audio,

and who left us much too soon.

Gabe 1970-1997
Chris 1959-1999

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LPE-2

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READ THIS FIRST!

Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by MILLENNIA MEDIA, INC. could
void your authority to operate this equipment under the EC or FCC rules.

1. Copyright: You acknowledge that no title to the intellectual property in the LPE-2 is trans­ferred to you.

2. Inspection: Inspect packing box(es), LPE-2, and cable(s) for damage, unusual marks, or
shortages. It is your responsibility to report damage, shortage, or misshipments in a timely
manner. Millennia Media and/or its dealers will not be responsible for claims arising from
damage in shipping, nor will claims for shortage or misshipments be honored, more than 10
days after ship date.

3. Read this manual carefully and completely before attempting to use the LPE-2. Improper
operation could result in damage to product. It is the user's responsibility to understand the
safe use and operation of this device.

4. The shipping box of the LPE-2 system will include (1) Owner's Manual, (2) LPE-2, (3) a UL
approved power cord, (4) Owner's Registration Card. Fill out the Owner's Registration Card
and return to Millennia Media at your earliest ability.

The material contained in this manual consists of information that is property of Millennia
Media, Inc. and is intended solely for use by the purchasers of the equipment described in this
manual. Millennia Media, Inc. expressly prohibits the duplication of any portion of this manual
or the use thereof for any purpose other than the operation and/or maintenance of the equip­ment described in this manual without the express written permission of Millennia Media,
Inc.. Under copyright laws, this manual may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the
written consent of Millennia Media, Inc..

LPE-2 and Analog Legacy are trademarks of Millennia Media, Inc. with all rights reserved. All
other trademarks herein are property of their respective holders. Serial numbers are located on
the left side of each unit. We suggest that you record the serial numbers in the space provided
below. Refer to it whenever you call an authorized Millennia Media repair facility or the
manufacturer. Make sure that you return your completed warranty card immediately.

Features and specifications subject to change without notice.
© 2001-2003 Millennia Media, Inc., All rights reserved

Serial Nos. ______________________________________________________________
Purchase Date ___________________________________________________________
Where Purchased _________________________________________________________

LPE-2

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

For your safety and the safety of others, be sure to read and understand all safety and opera­tional instructions before attempting to use the LPE-2. WARNING: The LPE-2 internal
circuitry carries lethal voltages. Carefully observe all warnings, precautions, and instructions
on the LPE-2 and as described in the instructions supplied with the unit.

1. WATER, MOISTURE, AND SPILLAGE
Do not attempt to use the LPE-2 in, near, or around water or in unusually moist environments,
such as near a sink or swimming pool. Prevent liquids or any other materials or objects from
spilling or falling into the LPE-2 unit.

2. HEAT AND VENTILATION
Be sure to allow adequate ventilation to LPE-2 and avoid using or installing unit in close proxim­ity to heat sources, such as heaters, stoves, radiators, power amplifiers, spotlights, or other heat­producing appliances or equipment.

3. POWER SOURCES AND POWER CORD PROTECTION
The LPE-2 Power Supply should be connected to a power source only of the type described in the
operating instructions or as marked on the Power Supply. Route the power cord so that it is not
likely to be walked on or pinched by having objects placed on it. Pay particular attention to plugs,
receptacles, and the point where the AC power cord exits the LPE-2.

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4. GROUNDING
For your safety, it is extremely important that the grounding pin of the 3-wire power cable (in­cluded with unit) be inserted into a grounding type 3-pin power outlet. If you are unable to insert
the plug into an existing outlet, contact an electrician to install a properly grounded 3-pin power
outlet, preferably that with OFI protection, if available.

5. DAMAGE REQUIRING SERVICE
This unit should be repaired or serviced by qualified personnel whenever:

· The AC power cord has been damaged, or

· An audio cable has been damaged, or

· Objects have fallen or liquid has spilled into any LPE-2 unit, or

· The unit does not function properly or exhibits a marked change in performance, or

· The unit has been abused, dropped, or damaged, or

· The unit has been exposed to rain or moisture

6. SERVICING
Deadly voltages are found inside the LPE-2 chassis. The user should not attempt to repair or
service this unit. All servicing and/or repairs should be referred to Millennia Media.

If, after reading all instructions, precautions, and warnings, you have remaining questions, please
contact Millennia Media directly before attempting to use your LPE-2. Retain this owner’s manual
as a record of your purchase to aid positive identification in the event of loss.

LPE-2

4

QUICK START

READ THIS!! For your protection, never under any circumstances
remove the top cover. Refer to a qualified electronics technician any
and all servicing and other operations which require the top cover to

be removed.

Congratulations on your purchase of the Millennia Media LPE-2 Analog Legacy archive refer­ence system. The LPE-2 is the culmination of meticulous listening tests on innumerable circuit,
topology, and packaging designs over many years of product design and development. Your
LPE-2 is a finely tuned instrument intended for critical professional applications — we feel it
offers the world's most sonically invisible and versatile phonographic front-end.

Before connecting power to the LPE-2, assure that the rear panel voltage selection fuse block
switch is set correctly. In the USA and Canada, the LPE-2 is shipped with the voltage selection
block set to 100-120 VAC. If you change the voltage selection block to 200-240 VAC usage, be
sure to change both fuses to the correct types. See "Rear Panel" instructions for proper fuse
requirements.

The LPE-2 enclosure measures approximately 19" wide x 3.5" high x 15" deep and is designed
for mounting into a standard 2U, 19" equipment rack. If the LPE-2 is mounted in a road case
or other rack which is prone to strong vibration or shock, it is highly recommended that the
rear of the LPE-2 be supported or otherwise reinforced to withstand such conditions. The
LPE-2 contains 50V discrete transistor amplifiers, with most running in Class-A bias. As such,
the LPE-2 Analog Legacy runs warm and should be mounted with at least one rack screw space
open above and below the unit.

The LPE-2 is designed on a common ground topology. For high quality operation, and for your
own safety and the safety of others, do not defeat the purpose of the AC plug earth grounding
pin.

LPE-2 FRONT-END PROTECTION

Millennia Media enjoys a reputation for what many top engineers and producers call the
world's most musically accurate and dynamically uniform audio preamplifier — the HV-3. But
this unique design is not achieved without certain operating criteria. Back-to-back Zener
diodes protect the super-matched discrete bipolar input transistors against high transient
energy spikes that can occur when inserting and extracting connectors. To maintain top perfor­mance and protect the LPE-2's sensitive HV-3 front-end, it is advised that you do not insert or
extract XLR or phono connectors with LPE-2 power on. Get in the habit of turning the unit
off before inserting or extracting XLR's or RCA plugs on the inputs.

LPE-2

INTRODUCTION

The LPE-2 Analog Legacy is a hand-crafted collection of Millennia's essential preamplifier
and equalizer circuitry tailored specifically for the needs of archiving and mastering profes­sionals, and serious audiophiles requiring a sonically uncompromised analog front-end.
The LPE-2 is a selectable mono or stereo processing chain which can be used with virtu­ally any modern or legacy phonograph cartridge. Any known type of legacy record press­ing (78, 45, 33, etc.) can be compensated perfectly with the LPE-2, including vertical
groove processes.

When the LPE-2 does not offer a precise preset compensation point or loading character­istic, the user may define virtually any custom parameter via plug-in passive components.
The LPE-2 offers a discrete-hybrid signal path from input to output, employing both
bipolar and field-effect transistors where they are best applied for Millennia's hallmark
sonic invisibility and dynamic uniformity. The LPE-2 accepts balanced line level or phono
level input via gold XLR connectors. Outputs are both XLR and RCA phono. Mains
powering is worldwide, universal.

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LPE-2

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LPE-2 REAR PANEL

(1) PHONO INPUTS "PHONO / LINE INPUTS L/R"

Conventional 3-pin female XLR input connectors for use with all standard phono cartridges. Can also be
used with certain line-level sources. Standard input load resistance is 47,000 ohms. This resistance (2
places, R11 & R40) can be changed by the user to facilitate different phono cartridge load requirements.
See illustration on page 11. Standard input load capacitance is 270 pF. This capacitor (C17) can be changed
by the user if necessary. See illustration on page 12. XLR pin 2 is positive polarity. XLR pin 3 is negative
polarity. Connector contacts are Neutrik Galvatronic gold plated. It is suggested that XLR cable connectors
used with the LPE-2 employ identical plating.

(2) OUTPUTS "LINE OUTPUT L/R"

Conventional three pin male XLR connectors providing unbalanced, line level output from the LPE-2. Pin 1
and 3 are audio ground. Pin 2 is positive polarity. This output is capable of driving <600 ohm loads and
long, high capacitance cables and has a maximum output level of +26 dBu. Connector contacts are Neutrik
Galvatronic gold plated. It is suggested that XLR cable connectors used with the LPE-2 employ identical
plating.

(3) FILTERS SELECT "FILTERS IN / OUT"

Two position toggle switch which allows the corrresponding filter section to be switched entirely out of
circuit. When filters are not in-circuit (OUT position, switch down), filter stage amplification has been
bypassed entirely, providing improved overall sonic performance.

(4) EARTH/AUDIO GROUND JUMPER STRAP

A barrier terminal which ties earth ground to audio ground. If ground "hum" loops are experienced when
using the LPE-2, removing this jumper may help. Using this jumper to lift ground, the integrity of the
chassis/earth safety ground connection is never compromised.

(5) AC VOLTAGE MAINS SELECTION "100-120" or "200-240"

A power entry module with a removable fuse holder block. This fuse holder block is selectable for 100 ­120 Volt or 200 - 240 Volt worldwide mains powering. The fuse block contains two fuses — one fuse is in
series with the hot power line while the other fuse is in series with the neutral power line. Both fuses must
be installed. To change the mains voltage selection, remove IEC power connector and assure that the LPE-2
is not connected to mains power. With a non-conductive tool, gently pry the fuse block away from the
power entry module. Remove the two fuses and replace both with type as shown below. Slide out the
internal PC Board, turn it over, and reinsert the PCB so that the desired AC mains voltage appears in the
viewing window. Double check that the fuses installed correspond to the AC mains voltage range which
appears in the viewing window. Gently push the fuse block back until flush and snug.

FUSES:
For 100-120 VAC mains, use two 5 x 20 mm, 1A, slow blow, 250 V, Littelfuse 218 or equiv.
For 200-240 VAC mains, use two 5 x 20 mm, 500 mA, slow blow, 250 V, Littelfuse 218 or equiv.

(6) POWER ENTRY "IEC Power Receptacle"

An IEC-type AC line-power receptacle for use with removable cords. Use only the power cord provided
with the LPE-2 unit or equivalent U/L approved type SV, SVT, SJ, or SJT AC power supply cord. Do not
defeat the third pin earth ground. If ground lifting is desired, remove the Earth/Audio Ground Jumper Strap
(topic #4, above).

LPE-2